9/8/25 – In the quest to build an all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood, contractors for the Northpark Drive expansion project will switch traffic to accommodate new phases of construction.
Beginning September 9th at 9pm, Harper Brothers Construction will shift westbound traffic between NorthPark Christian Church and Loop 494 to the newly constructed westbound lanes.
The existing eastbound traffic lanes will also shift onto the previous westbound traffic lanes from Loop 494 to RecNation RV & Boat Storage.
Both switches are east of the railroad tracks. See below.
Greatly reduced. For a full-size, high-res PDF with better readability, click here.
During this phase of work the contractor will install additional drainage and reconstruct the existing roadway. These traffic shifts should last approximately four months.
Two utility pipelines on diagonals still remained at noon todaybut should be removed this week…with luck.
Photos from 9/8/25
I took the following photos today. They show the state of construction along Northpark from east to west. And they should help put the map above into perspective.
Looking W at Eastern end of Phase 1 (Project T-1013) toward US59. Phase II will start behind camera position and go slightly past Woodland Hills Drive (far enough for turn lanes).Contractors have demolished and removed all the concrete from the old westbound lanes (right).They continue to install drain pipes under the cleared lanes, heading east (behind the camera position).Working from the bottom up. Drain pipes being installed before surface work.
Storm-sewer crews are installing drainpipe on westbound Northpark east of 494.
After they install drainage, other crews prepare the sub-grade before pouring concrete.The sidewalk and driveway crews come next. This is near the entrance to Kings Mill. Bottom left.
The road splits at the start of the bridge (not yet built) that will eventually carry traffic over the railroad tracks and Loop 494.
On the left, note streets going in for a new development called the Enclave. It will have 100 homes on 10 acres.
Also note preparation of the sub-grade (above and below) for new surface lanes on the left that will be built between the bridge and the Enclave.
Rebar has been placed for another concrete pour as you approach the railroad tracks and Loop 494 (top of frame).Stockpiled 60″ steel drain pipes for boring under tracks.Contractors are mobilizing this week to resume boring under the tracks (from right pit to one in center).
After the two utility conflicts are removed, all bore activities should finish within two weeks.
West of Loop 494
Looking W from Loop 494 toward US59. Contractors will soon start preparing the sub-grade and paving the dirt area in the center where old lanes were removed.The Exxon Station at 59 will reportedly lose an island of pumps and part of its canopy.Grading of the north detention pond should start the week of 9/15 and continue for at least two weeks.Ditto for the south detention pond.
It’s not clear yet whether those detention ponds will be ready or this Christmas. After grading, several steps remain. They include:
Placement of a liner to retain water in the ponds
Drilling a well
Filling the ponds
Landscaping
Wouldn’t that be a wonderful gift for the community if the ponds could be ready by Christmas!
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/20250908-DJI_20250908122201_0017_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-09-08 17:06:572025-09-10 17:02:17Northpark Drive Lane Switches Scheduled for This Week
9/6/2025 – On August 26, 2025, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) transmitted an update to Commissioners Court on the release of new flood insurance rate maps. The update showed the release date slipping yet again. This makes at least the seventh postponement in four years.
The amount of time it’s taking FEMA to vet the maps may now exceed the time it took HCFCD to create the maps.
Visual Chronology of Updates
Below are seven screen captures that I took from MAAPnext’s website, presentations and transmittals through the years.
On 11/30/2021, the maps were going to be available to the public by Spring, 2022.But by Jan 26, 2022, the release had slipped to summer or fall that year.
By November 2022, the release was an unspecified date sometime in 2023, a much larger window.
On June 8, 2023, the release date window widened to two full years. Three months later, on Sept. 6, 2023, the release had been firmly pushed to 2024.The update presented at the 8/26/25 Commissioners Court meeting shows release of maps in early 2026, but……copy on the MAAPnext project-schedule page says “end of 2026.“
Keep in mind that it can take another 2-3 years for the preliminary maps to go through public review, public comment, appeals and become the final “effective” maps.
Many different groups depend on having the best information available. They include, but are not limited to:
Developers
Home builders
Home buyers
Home sellers
Lenders
Realtors
Politicians
The National Flood Insurance Program
In some cases, their interests may be diametrically opposed.
Delays may help some in the short term. However, in the long term, sound public policy must rest on data, not delusions.
HCFCD does not have to wait for FEMA to release MAAPnext data. The District could make it publicly available with the flip of a software switch today.
If FEMA wants to change something, HCFCD can modify its maps later. But at least in the meantime, all those interests above could make decisions based on the best available data.
Harris County Appraisal District and HAR.com report that 85,163 single-family homes sold in Harris County in 2024. The same HAR report gives a total dollar volume of $41.1 billion in 2024 for single-family home sales in the Houston region. And those numbers do noteven include townhomes, condos, or commercial real estate.
I would urge anyone who suspects they may have purchased a home in a floodplain that isn’t currently shown in a floodplain – or anyone considering purchasing a home – to complain to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
If they start yanking licenses, we may quickly see maps more current than those developed 24 years ago after Tropical Storm Allison.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/6/25
2930 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/20250906-7.18.35-PM.jpg?fit=1100%2C677&ssl=16771100adminadmin2025-09-06 21:05:342025-09-06 23:49:09Flood Insurance Rate Maps Slip for Fourth Straight Year
9/5/25 – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has completed investigating exposed pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids at a sand mine in Porter operated by Texas Frac Sand Materials Inc.
Exposed HVL pipelines in utility easement near Caney Creekphotographed on July 24 and August 14, 2025
TCEQ documented the pipeline issue and referred it to the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates pipelines in the state. As of this writing, it is unclear whether the pipelines remain exposed.
Other Alleged Violations Found
While at the mine, the TCEQ investigator noted other alleged violations that are now part of an active enforcement action. Specifically, the report notes that the operator had not stabilized the entrance. Nor had the operator installed structural controls along the bridge that crossed White Oak Creek.
In addition, the investigator noted breaches in the dikes of the mine’s southernmost pit. One came in from White Oak Creek and the other flows out to Caney Creek.
Previous Alleged Violations
The report also notes that a 2023 investigation found three previous issues at the mine. They included failure to:
A 2024 investigation noted that the vegetative control issue had been resolved. However, the other two issues remained and were referred to the TCEQ’s enforcement division.
A followup investigation in 2024 noted failure to prevent the unauthorized discharge of process wastewater into waters of the state.
Other Problems Dating Back Before Harvey
Prior to Texas Fracsand operating the mine, Triple PG Sand Development (the property owner) operated it.
Triple PG also had multiple run ins with the TCEQ. One resulted in a million dollar lawsuit.
The lawsuit, which the state attorney general lodged on behalf of the TCEQ, has been delayed for six years by legal maneuverings. It began in October 2019 and is still waiting to come to trial in Travis County. See Case D-1-GN-19-007086.
The lawsuit alleged uncontrolled and unauthorized release of process wastewater from the mine’s dredging pond into the headwaters of Lake Houston. And it sought $1.1 million in damages plus $25,000 per day that the releases continued. The text of the lawsuit details other alleged violations dating back to 2015. However, Montgomery County Appraisal District records show that Triple PG acquired the property in early 2017.
In November 2019, Triple PG began a flimsy repair of its dikes. The repair later washed out and had to be redone. Then that repair washed out, too.
Pollution from the mine even became an issue in Tony Buzbee’s campaign for Houston Mayor.
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/20250724-DJI_20250724140935_0601_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-09-05 15:51:542025-09-05 16:20:37TCEQ Investigates Exposed Pipelines at Porter Sand Mine, Finds More Alleged Violations
Northpark Drive Lane Switches Scheduled for This Week
Update 9/10/25 – The traffic switch has been delayed a week. See this update.
9/8/25 – In the quest to build an all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood, contractors for the Northpark Drive expansion project will switch traffic to accommodate new phases of construction.
Two Four-Month-Long Traffic Switches This Week
According the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website:
Both switches are east of the railroad tracks. See below.
During this phase of work the contractor will install additional drainage and reconstruct the existing roadway. These traffic shifts should last approximately four months.
Boring Under Tracks to Resume Soon
In other news, boring will soon resume under the UnionPacific Railroad tracks. Boring crews are being remobilized this week. Twin 60″ bores will convey stormwater from west of the tracks toward the Kingwood Diversion Ditch east of them. Utility conflicts had stalled boring since early July.
Photos from 9/8/25
I took the following photos today. They show the state of construction along Northpark from east to west. And they should help put the map above into perspective.
Storm-sewer crews are installing drainpipe on westbound Northpark east of 494.
The road splits at the start of the bridge (not yet built) that will eventually carry traffic over the railroad tracks and Loop 494.
Also note preparation of the sub-grade (above and below) for new surface lanes on the left that will be built between the bridge and the Enclave.
After the two utility conflicts are removed, all bore activities should finish within two weeks.
West of Loop 494
It’s not clear yet whether those detention ponds will be ready or this Christmas. After grading, several steps remain. They include:
Wouldn’t that be a wonderful gift for the community if the ponds could be ready by Christmas!
For More Information
See the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website project page and a 3-week lookahead schedule posted on 9/4/25.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/8/25
2932 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Flood Insurance Rate Maps Slip for Fourth Straight Year
9/6/2025 – On August 26, 2025, Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) transmitted an update to Commissioners Court on the release of new flood insurance rate maps. The update showed the release date slipping yet again. This makes at least the seventh postponement in four years.
The amount of time it’s taking FEMA to vet the maps may now exceed the time it took HCFCD to create the maps.
Visual Chronology of Updates
Below are seven screen captures that I took from MAAPnext’s website, presentations and transmittals through the years.
By November 2022, the release was an unspecified date sometime in 2023, a much larger window.
Keep in mind that it can take another 2-3 years for the preliminary maps to go through public review, public comment, appeals and become the final “effective” maps.
Here’s the full update presented to Commissioners Court on 8/26/25.
Why the Delays?
Many different groups depend on having the best information available. They include, but are not limited to:
In some cases, their interests may be diametrically opposed.
Delays may help some in the short term. However, in the long term, sound public policy must rest on data, not delusions.
HCFCD does not have to wait for FEMA to release MAAPnext data. The District could make it publicly available with the flip of a software switch today.
If FEMA wants to change something, HCFCD can modify its maps later. But at least in the meantime, all those interests above could make decisions based on the best available data.
Harris County Appraisal District and HAR.com report that 85,163 single-family homes sold in Harris County in 2024. The same HAR report gives a total dollar volume of $41.1 billion in 2024 for single-family home sales in the Houston region. And those numbers do not even include townhomes, condos, or commercial real estate.
I would urge anyone who suspects they may have purchased a home in a floodplain that isn’t currently shown in a floodplain – or anyone considering purchasing a home – to complain to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
If they start yanking licenses, we may quickly see maps more current than those developed 24 years ago after Tropical Storm Allison.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/6/25
2930 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
TCEQ Investigates Exposed Pipelines at Porter Sand Mine, Finds More Alleged Violations
9/5/25 – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has completed investigating exposed pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids at a sand mine in Porter operated by Texas Frac Sand Materials Inc.
TCEQ documented the pipeline issue and referred it to the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates pipelines in the state. As of this writing, it is unclear whether the pipelines remain exposed.
Other Alleged Violations Found
While at the mine, the TCEQ investigator noted other alleged violations that are now part of an active enforcement action. Specifically, the report notes that the operator had not stabilized the entrance. Nor had the operator installed structural controls along the bridge that crossed White Oak Creek.
In addition, the investigator noted breaches in the dikes of the mine’s southernmost pit. One came in from White Oak Creek and the other flows out to Caney Creek.
Previous Alleged Violations
The report also notes that a 2023 investigation found three previous issues at the mine. They included failure to:
A 2024 investigation noted that the vegetative control issue had been resolved. However, the other two issues remained and were referred to the TCEQ’s enforcement division.
A followup investigation in 2024 noted failure to prevent the unauthorized discharge of process wastewater into waters of the state.
Other Problems Dating Back Before Harvey
Prior to Texas Fracsand operating the mine, Triple PG Sand Development (the property owner) operated it.
Triple PG also had multiple run ins with the TCEQ. One resulted in a million dollar lawsuit.
The lawsuit, which the state attorney general lodged on behalf of the TCEQ, has been delayed for six years by legal maneuverings. It began in October 2019 and is still waiting to come to trial in Travis County. See Case D-1-GN-19-007086.
The lawsuit alleged uncontrolled and unauthorized release of process wastewater from the mine’s dredging pond into the headwaters of Lake Houston. And it sought $1.1 million in damages plus $25,000 per day that the releases continued. The text of the lawsuit details other alleged violations dating back to 2015. However, Montgomery County Appraisal District records show that Triple PG acquired the property in early 2017.
In November 2019, Triple PG began a flimsy repair of its dikes. The repair later washed out and had to be redone. Then that repair washed out, too.
Pollution from the mine even became an issue in Tony Buzbee’s campaign for Houston Mayor.
In December 2019, I documented a natural gas pipeline exposed through mining activity at the Triple PG mine.
In May of 2020, TCEQ alleged the fourth unauthorized discharge of process wastewater in 10 months!
That’s critical because TCEQ requires the mine to monitor its waste for:
For More Information
So far, no large fines. But the miners have gotten some hefty tax breaks from Montgomery County.
For the full text of the TCEQ investigation, see this TCEQ report dated 8/28/25.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/5/25
2929 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.